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The amazing career of Jaylen Wells, the other Grizzlies rookie • Basket USA

Year after year, the Grizzlies have a nose for finding good players in the second round of the Draft, or even as « two-way contract » . Elements that most often benefit from injuries to stars, like GG Jackson or Vince Williams Jr last season. Confirmation this year with the named Jaylen Wells39th choice of the Draft.

After eleven matches, he is averaging 11.4 points, and the NBA has selected him number 1 in its weekly “rookie ladder”, a sort of “race for the best rookie”. “ It’s nice, and you know, I talked to my mom about it. But I don’t pay attention to it anymore.” he reacted about this unexpected first place, and the possibility of being Rookie Of The Year at the end of the season.

At 15 years old, Jaylen Wells is 1m75 tall…

On the other hand, what he likes is to see that he is ahead of Zach Edey, and he would like it if he or his teammate brought the trophy back to Memphis. “It would be cool if he and I brought it back (to Memphis), or it was him or me. That would be really nice” he continues.

Unlike the immense Edey, Wells went under the radar for many years, and he owes his early fame to his good debut in the NBA. But before that, few scouts had noticed him. Like others, Wells was penalized by the pandemic, but also… its late growth. During his first year in high school, in Sacramento, he was only 1m75 tall, and it was obviously difficult to stand out. Except that two years later, he gained 20 centimeters, and he is no longer a playmaker, but a winger.

He joins Klay Thompson’s old school

A transfer which allowed him to win the title of Player of the Year of the Metro League in Sacramento. Revealed late, he was unable to get a place in a good university, and he settled for a place at Sonoma State, in Division II! He remained two years, and during his sophomore season, he was voted Player of the Year of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. For him, there is no doubt, he can play on the upper level, and he is registered on the transfer platform. He left his native Sacramento for Washington State. It is there that Klay Thompson was trained, and Wells demonstrates that he is also a good shooter with an average of 15 points, in the Pac-12, within a team qualified for the NCAA tournament. His 3-point skill, 42%, allows him to have his name on a few scout tablets.

Last May, on the strength of this great first season in the NCAA, he registered for the Draft, with the possibility of withdrawing his name. Proof that he is not very well known, Jaylen Wells was initially not invited to the NBA Draft Combine. But Ryan Kalkbrenner gets injured, returns to Creighton, and Wells finally lands an invitation. This allowed him to play in front of the scouts and managers of the 30 NBA franchises, and this is how he found himself selected in 39th position. “If you had asked me when I was a freshman at Sonoma State where I would be today, I would have told you I would be preparing for my fourth year at Sonoma State.”Wells confided during his introductory press conference with the Grizzlies. “It’s a little surreal to be in this place.”

Congratulated by LeBron James

Four months later, what’s even more surreal is that Taylor Jenkins gave him the wing-back position in the starting five after Desmond Bane’s injury, and he even caught the eye of LeBron James! It was during the Lakers reception. After a 3-pointer planted eight meters away, LeBron James congratulated him with a friendly pat on the head. A way of saying: “Welcome to the NBA!” »

Two-way contract : Designed to create a new bridge between the NBA and the G-League, this type of contract allows each team to secure the services of two or three additional players, to develop them mainly in their affiliated development league franchise but also up to 50 matches in the NBA.

Percentage Rebounds
# Player Team MJ Min Shots 3pts LF Off Def To Pd Fte Int Bp Ct Pts
1 Jared McCain PHI 11 19.0 45.7 38.5 100.0 0.5 1.6 2.1 2.3 0.8 0.5 1.0 0.0 13.5
2 Zaccharie Risacher ATL 12 26.8 37.2 24.6 62.2 1.7 2.3 4.0 1.3 2.5 1.1 1.2 0.9 11.7
3 Zach Edey MEM 12 20.3 62.2 57.1 65.5 3.0 3.8 6.8 0.8 3.3 0.8 1.8 0.9 11.3
4 Jaylen Wells MEM 12 25.9 43.0 37.0 72.7 0.8 2.5 3.3 1.7 1.8 0.3 1.1 0.3 11.2
5 Bub Carrington WAS 10 30.0 43.2 36.1 88.9 0.1 4.4 4.5 5.1 3.3 1.3 2.0 0.4 9.9
6 Kyshawn George WAS 10 29.0 37.2 29.2 75.0 0.6 3.7 4.3 2.8 3.9 1.0 0.9 1.0 9.8
7 Alex Sarr WAS 10 25.3 34.3 16.7 70.8 1.7 4.1 5.8 2.2 2.8 0.6 1.1 2.3 9.5
8 Stephon Castle SAS 12 23.6 38.0 23.1 67.9 0.6 1.9 2.5 3.0 1.8 0.8 1.3 0.4 8.7
9 Ryan Dunn PHX 11 17.8 46.3 37.8 25.0 0.5 1.9 2.4 0.7 2.4 0.5 0.3 0.5 7.3
10 Dalton Knecht LAL 11 18.2 44.6 37.2 100.0 0.4 1.5 1.8 1.3 1.3 0.4 0.5 0.0 7.3
11 Tristan Da Silva ORL 9 25.0 37.5 31.3 75.0 1.0 2.9 3.9 1.9 1.8 0.2 0.6 0.3 7.1
12 Yves Missi NOP 12 22.7 55.7 0.0 65.2 2.7 3.6 6.3 1.6 1.3 0.5 0.6 1.3 6.9
13 Kyle Filipowski UTA 9 15.7 54.5 38.1 37.5 0.6 3.4 4.0 1.7 1.4 0.2 1.0 0.2 6.6
14 Ron Holland THE 13 15.6 44.3 14.3 80.0 0.5 2.3 2.8 0.5 1.4 0.5 0.5 0.1 6.0
15 Donovan Clingan BY 13 15.8 53.7 20.0 83.3 2.5 3.0 5.5 0.2 2.8 0.4 0.9 2.1 5.7
16 Keaton Wallace ATL 10 16.3 43.1 34.8 100.0 0.1 1.3 1.4 1.8 1.0 0.8 1.1 0.5 5.6
17 Jamison Battle TOR 11 14.4 39.2 33.3 75.0 0.9 1.7 2.6 0.9 1.7 0.0 0.4 0.2 5.3
18 Ajay Mitchell OKC 12 15.2 53.1 45.5 85.7 0.2 1.4 1.6 1.9 1.6 0.9 0.8 0.1 5.3
19 Jonathan Mogbo TOR 12 15.6 48.8 16.7 70.4 2.3 1.8 4.1 1.7 2.3 1.0 0.9 0.6 5.2
20 Jamal Shead TOR 12 15.8 37.1 22.7 90.0 0.1 0.8 0.9 3.6 1.8 0.4 1.7 0.2 5.0
21 Pelle Larsson MIA 7 13.9 52.2 41.7 60.0 0.3 0.9 1.1 1.6 1.6 0.6 0.6 0.0 5.0
22 Tyler Kolek NOW 7 6.6 69.2 75.0 100.0 0.3 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.7 0.0 4.0
23 Cody Williams UTA 10 22.1 26.4 17.2 62.5 0.6 1.9 2.5 1.4 1.0 0.6 0.9 0.3 3.8
24 Isaiah Collier UTA 3 14.7 41.7 0.0 25.0 0.0 2.3 2.3 2.0 1.0 0.3 0.7 0.3 3.7
25 Reed Sheppard NEW 12 11.9 42.9 33.3 0.0 0.4 0.9 1.3 1.6 0.9 0.3 0.7 0.1 3.6
26 Tidjane Salaun CHA 9 17.2 25.0 22.2 25.0 0.9 3.1 4.0 1.0 0.9 0.3 0.9 0.0 3.0
27 Kel’el Ware MIA 6 7.2 44.4 40.0 0.0 0.0 1.3 1.3 0.0 1.0 0.3 0.5 0.7 3.0
28 Rob Dillingham MIN 5 5.6 66.7 66.7 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.6 1.4 0.2 0.0 1.0 0.0 2.8
29 Very Ighodaro PHX 7 10.9 57.1 0.0 100.0 1.0 2.4 3.4 0.1 1.6 0.3 0.6 0.4 2.7
30 Tyler Smith MIL 8 3.6 66.7 42.9 50.0 0.1 0.6 0.8 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.3 0.3 2.5
31 I’m Kobe Walter TOR 4 12.2 18.8 16.7 60.0 1.0 1.8 2.8 0.8 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 2.5
32 Matas Buzelis CHI 11 8.5 25.8 20.0 62.5 0.5 1.5 2.0 0.3 0.8 0.5 0.6 0.5 2.2
33 Antonio Reeves NOP 7 6.4 31.6 18.2 0.0 0.0 0.9 0.9 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.0 2.0
34 Luke Travers CLE 2 3.7 100.0 0.0 100.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 1.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 2.0
35 KJ Simpson CHA 1 6.9 50.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 1.0 3.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0
36 Alex Reese OKC 1 1.9 100.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0
37 Ulrich Chomche TOR 1 4.5 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0
38 Johnny Furphy IND 4 5.5 25.0 0.0 100.0 0.5 0.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.0 1.8
39 Liam Robbins MIL 3 5.5 66.7 0.0 25.0 0.7 0.3 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.7
40 Dillon Jones OKC 11 6.8 29.6 6.7 25.0 0.6 1.1 1.7 0.5 1.0 0.2 0.4 0.1 1.6
41 Jaylen Martin BRK 2 1.5 100.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5
42 Jazian Gortman DAL 2 2.3 100.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 1.5
43 Jaylon Tyson CLE 5 4.9 33.3 50.0 50.0 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.4 1.4 0.0 0.8 0.0 1.4
44 Adem Bona PHI 8 4.0 83.3 0.0 100.0 0.6 0.9 1.5 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.3 0.4 1.4
45 Baylor Scheierman BOS 3 6.0 16.7 0.0 100.0 0.3 1.0 1.3 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.3
46 Pacome Dadiet NOW 4 6.9 33.3 33.3 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.3 0.5 0.0 0.3 0.0 1.3
47 Terrence Shannon, Jr. MIN 4 3.7 66.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.3 1.0
48 Reece Beekman GSW 2 2.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 1.0
49 Karlo Matkovic NOP 2 2.4 100.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 0.5 2.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 1.0 0.5 1.0
50 Yuki Kawamura MEM 8 3.2 18.2 12.5 75.0 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.8 0.1 0.0 0.4 0.0 1.0
51 Trey Alexander IT 2 2.9 33.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
52 Jack McVeigh NEW 3 3.3 20.0 33.3 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 1.0
53 Jalen Bridges PHX 1 5.8 0.0 0.0 50.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0
54 Enrique Freeman IND 5 7.2 25.0 0.0 100.0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.8 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.8
55 Isaac Jones SAC 5 2.1 50.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8
56 Bronny James LAL 6 2.6 16.7 0.0 100.0 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.7
57 A.J. Johnson MIL 4 2.1 33.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.5
58 Cui Yongxi BRK 2 1.5 0.0 0.0 50.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5
59 Malevy Leon OKC 5 3.4 0.0 0.0 50.0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.4
60 Ariel Hukporti NOW 5 6.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.8 1.8 0.0 1.2 0.0 0.6 0.8 0.0
61 Spencer Jones IT 1 2.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
62 Riley Minix SAS 1 6.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
63 Harrison Ingram SAS 1 6.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
64 Daniss Jenkins THE 2 2.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
65 Alex Dukes OKC 4 1.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
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